Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has maintained generally comfortable leads over the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, in a potential general-election matchup. But new survey data from Morning Consult indicates that deficit is closing fast.
According to a national poll of almost 4,000 registered voters taken last week, Clinton leads Trump by just 42 percent to 40 percent, within the 2-point margin of error. She is down 2 percent from a week ago, while Trump gained 2 points. Nearly one out of five voters (17 percent) remain undecided.
Among all voters, Clinton is almost as unpopular as the controversial Trump. Only 41 percent of voters have a favorable view of her, compared with 39 percent who have a favorable view of Trump.The new poll shows Trump making gains among independents, women, and those who classify themselves as moderates. He increased his support among independent voters by 3 points, while Clinton’s support fell by 2 points. Support from women for the former Secretary of State also fell by 2 points, while Trump’s increased by 2 points. And among moderates, the new poll shows Clinton only holding a 10-point lead over Trump (46 percent to 36 percent), down from a 17-point lead (49 percent to 32 percent) in the previous poll.
And while Clinton holds a sturdy lead in the delegate count for the Democratic nomination, it is her rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who continues to poll stronger against Trump in a hypothetical matchup. Pitted against the bombastic businessman, Sanders would lead 50 percent to 37 percent.
The Morning Consult survey polled 3,971 registered voters on May 11-15, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
This article was originally published on Morning Consult.